Day 1 - January 4, 2006 (cont.):
On the bus ride to the hotel, I tried commiserating with a Brazilian chap who was in the same sad situation as I (missed connection to Fortaleza, not missing bags). His name was Artenisio Leite. The airline had given him a voucher to the same hotel. He had a good friend and an ex-wife in Sâo Paolo, he told me in Portuguese mixed with English, and had invited them to have lunch with him at the hotel. We all had lunch together. Afterwords, Artenisio´s friend Claiton suggested we all take the gringo on a whirlwind tour of Sao Paolo, about 20 kms from the hotel and airport. A´s wife had other plans, so Claiton, Artenisio and I set off in Claiton´s Honda Accord on a whirlwind tour.
It was a grey day with ominous, black clouds threatening - and producing - rain.
Claiton is a jovial, balding 53-year old Casanova, who loves to talk loud about his conquests and point out beautiful women we are passing. Artenisio, 52, a hotel and `motel` (hotel where couples go to DO it) owner in Fortaleza, in the back seat provides the chorus. These nice guys give me the best 3-hour tour of Sao Paolo money can buy, pointing out much new construction taking place, the city´s `Wall Street` and a beautiful park where Claiton used to go running. After driving around for quite a while - I was nodding off intermittantly from lack of sleep - my hosts decided it was time to stop off to do some shopping. We stopped at the Iguatemi shopping center, a deluxe mall of only the chicest shops where SP`s elite meet to shop and be seen.
After walking around for a while, we decided to stop for a coffee.
Claiton and Artenisio
Claiton decided to stop in at a snazzy men´s clothing store he likes.
Claiton shops for a shirt.
Michael and Claiton
After Artenisio and Claiton each bought a shirt, we rode back to the airport, where Artenisio´s and my flight to Fortaleza went off without a hitch.
Arriving in Fortaleza
Cristiany and her beau Uzi met me at the airport about midnight and took me to the Pousada Casa Romana, the little hotel where I stayed.
On the bus ride to the hotel, I tried commiserating with a Brazilian chap who was in the same sad situation as I (missed connection to Fortaleza, not missing bags). His name was Artenisio Leite. The airline had given him a voucher to the same hotel. He had a good friend and an ex-wife in Sâo Paolo, he told me in Portuguese mixed with English, and had invited them to have lunch with him at the hotel. We all had lunch together. Afterwords, Artenisio´s friend Claiton suggested we all take the gringo on a whirlwind tour of Sao Paolo, about 20 kms from the hotel and airport. A´s wife had other plans, so Claiton, Artenisio and I set off in Claiton´s Honda Accord on a whirlwind tour.
It was a grey day with ominous, black clouds threatening - and producing - rain.Claiton is a jovial, balding 53-year old Casanova, who loves to talk loud about his conquests and point out beautiful women we are passing. Artenisio, 52, a hotel and `motel` (hotel where couples go to DO it) owner in Fortaleza, in the back seat provides the chorus. These nice guys give me the best 3-hour tour of Sao Paolo money can buy, pointing out much new construction taking place, the city´s `Wall Street` and a beautiful park where Claiton used to go running. After driving around for quite a while - I was nodding off intermittantly from lack of sleep - my hosts decided it was time to stop off to do some shopping. We stopped at the Iguatemi shopping center, a deluxe mall of only the chicest shops where SP`s elite meet to shop and be seen.
After walking around for a while, we decided to stop for a coffee.
Claiton and Artenisio
Claiton decided to stop in at a snazzy men´s clothing store he likes.
Claiton shops for a shirt.
Michael and ClaitonAfter Artenisio and Claiton each bought a shirt, we rode back to the airport, where Artenisio´s and my flight to Fortaleza went off without a hitch.
Arriving in FortalezaCristiany and her beau Uzi met me at the airport about midnight and took me to the Pousada Casa Romana, the little hotel where I stayed.
posted by Michael Crowell at 6:55 PM
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